Rotating table ball catching game



March 7, 1950 c. E. ANDERSON ROTATING TABLE BALL CATCHING GAME 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1945 IN VEN TOR, C/mzis E. fl/vpmso/vATTORNEY March 7, 1950 c. E. ANDERSON ROTATING TABLE BALL CATCHING GAME4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15,- 1945 Inn T 1 1111 1 IN VEN TOR. Cam 55f. /4A/0A50/V By W A 770mm March 7, 1950 c. E. ANDERSON ROTATING TABLEBALL CATCHING- GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 15, 1945 2 INVEN TOR.

0/4/9155 11''. AA Mm/v A TTOH/VZ'Y March 7, 1950 c. E. ANDERSON2,499,557

ROTATING TABLE BALL CATCHING GAME Filed Jan. 15, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 CT0 SOURCE OF Cl/RRE/VT SUPPLY 155. 12.

T0 sowzcz OF CURRENT INVENTOR. SUPPLY CHARLES E. ANM/eso/v A TITO/9N5)Patented Mar. 7, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTATING TABLE BALLCATCHING GAME Charles E. Anderson, New York, N. Y.

Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. 572,777

My invention relates to game apparatus.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a game apparatus of thetype described which shall contain certain novel and improvedconstructional features making the game dependent upon the skill of theplayer or players and thus rendering the game highly interesting andamusing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel game apparatus ofthe class described which shall comprise relatively few and simpleparts, which shall be easy to assemble, and yet sturdy in construction,and the operation of which shall be simple and readily understandable.

Other objects of my invention will hereinafter be pointed out or willbecome apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a game apparatus constructed and arrangedin accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along theline 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a phase in theoperation thereof;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along theline 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views taken substantially along thelines and 8-8 respectively of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating a phase in theoperation thereof; and

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the lineIll-49 of Fig. 9; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are schematic wiring diagrams showing the operation ofmy invention by electrical means.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1and 2 thereof, it is noted that the game apparatus constructed andarranged in accordance with my invention comprises a turntable 0f anysuitable size and material fixedly attached to a shaft 2| for rotationtherewith. A motor M, connected to a suitable source of current supply(not shown) is provided to drive the shaft 2| to rotate the turntable2%. Suitable reduction gearing including the gears 22 and 23 may beprovided between the motor shaft and the shaft 2|. The construction justdescribed may be of the type generally well known and employed in thephonograph or sim lar arts.

The above described turntable and driving apparatus may be suitablyhoused in a cabinet C comprising the bottom wall 24, upon which themotor M is fastened and the surrounding walls 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-113)upstanding therefrom comprising front and rear walls 26 and 27respectively and the side walls 25. Spaced from the bottom wall 24, andparallel thereto and disposed at a predetermined distance f above theturntable 20 is an intermediate wall 28, fixed to the walls 25, 26 and21. The wall 28 is solid except for a through opening 30, ofsubstantially the same diameter as and in register with the turntable20. Slightly spaced from the rim of the turntable 20 and surrounding thesame is a circular upstanding wall 3! provided with a flange 3|aadjacent the top thereof by means of which the said wall 3| is fixedlyattached to the wall 28 in a suitable well known manner.

It is noted that the wall M is also provided with a flange 3|b, adjacentthe bottom thereof which is disposed in a direction so as to freelyunderlie the bottom surface of said turntable 29.

In accordance with my invention I provide a plurality of balls B whichare adapted to rest upon the turntable 29, so that when the turntable iscaused to rotate the balls B, due to the action of centrifugal force,will move to the periphery of the turntable 20 and will normally beprevented from falling off therefrom by the surrounding wall 3l. A glassWindow member 32, spaced from the wall 28 provides a protective closurefor the cabinet C.

The wall 3|, surrounding the turntable 20 is provided with a pluralityof circumferentialy spaced openings 49 therein (see Fig. 4), so disposedas to normally permit the balls .8 to freely pass therethrough and tothus leave the said turntable 20. At each opening 50, I provide a pocketmember 45 designed to receive and hold a ball B as it passes through thesaid opening 49.

As noted in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings the pocket 45 comprises abox-like member having side walls 45a, a bottom wall 450, a rear wall452) and being open at the top and front. The bottom wall 450 isinclined downwardly toward the rear wall 45b so that when the ball Benters the pocket 45 it will normally roll until it strikes the rearwall 452) where it will rest, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4and in full lines in Fig. 5.

To selectively trap a ball B, while the turntable is rotating, so thatit will enter a pocket 45 I provide a catch member in the form of a hood50, comprising the top wall 50a, and a depending arcuate wall 501) andhaving an open side 5110 facing in a direction opposite to the directionof motion of the turntable 20. The hood 50 is pivotally supported onbrackets 5| by means of the pivots 52, the said brackets 5| beingfixedly attached to the wall 28 in any suitable well known manner. Thehood 5!] is preferably normally held in ineffective or raised position,as for example, that shown in Fig. 5, by means of a weight 53 fixed toan arm 54 of the said hood 50, extending on the opposite side of thepivot from the hood 50.

The hood 50, when in raised position, as shown in Fig. 5, will permitthe balls B, on the turntable 20 to freely pass underneath so that theywill not be trapped and forced to enter the pocket 45.

To render the game more interesting and more dependent upon the skill ofthe player or players I provide means whereby the hood under control ofthe player may be lowered to the effective ball catching position, asshown in Fig. 3, against the normal action of the Weight 53.

The following mechanism represents one satisfactory means forselectively controlling the raising and lowering of the hood 50.

Mounted on the cabinet C, the wall 26 thereof is a manually manipulatedrocking switch 60' shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8 of the drawings. Thesaid switch 60 comprises a box-like member having a bottom wall 60a, theside walls 60b, a back wall 600, a front wall 606, and a top wall orclosure 60d. Disposed adjacent the front wall 60c and rear wall 600 areblocks 6! and 62 respectively of electrical insulating material.Bridging the blocks BI and 62 and fastened thereto are a pair of tracks63 and 64 of electrically conductive material. The ends of the tracks 63and 64 extend through the material of the block 62 to the outside of theswitch 60, the said extending ends being provided with connectingterminals 65 and 66 adapted to be electrically connected to a suitablesource of current supply (not shown). Freely disposed within the switch69 is a ball 68 of electrically conductive material and of such size asto ride upon and contactively engage both tracks 63 and 64 to completean electrical circuit between the said tracks 63, 64 and the said sourceof supply. As noted in Figs. 6 and 9, the tracks 63 and 64 ar preferablydesigned to incline upwardly from the blocks SI and 62 toward thecenter, so that the ball will not be permitted to come to rest anywhereexcept on the insulated areas, comprising the blocks 6| and 62.

One end of the rocking switch 60 is provided with a bracket 69 which ispivotally mounted on a post 10, the said post may be fixed to the wall28 or to any other desirable portion of the cabinet C. The opposite endof the rocking switch 60 is free and unattached and is adapted to restupon a cam member H which in turn is fixed to a shaft 12 suitablyjournaled in the wall 26 of the cabinet 0. The cam 'H is so designedthat by rotating the shaft 12 either in a clockwise or counter-clockwisedirection, the free end of the rocking switch 6!. may be raised to thetilted position shown in Fig. 9, in which position the ball 68 will rolltoward the rear wall 600 to come to rest on the insulated block 62. Itis noted that during the time that the ball 68 was rolling on the trackportions between the blocks 6i and 62 an electrical circuit wascompleted. The said completion of said circuit is caused to energize anelectro-magnet 15 (see Figs. 3 and forming a part of said circuit. Thiswill in turn cause the armature 16 to move inwardly in the direction ofthe arrows Y. One end of the armature 76 is pivotally fixed to a rockerarm portion 1'! of the hood 5!] by the pivot shaft 18.

It is thus seen from the above described construction that when the ball68 of the rocking switch rests upon the tracks 63 and 64 to complete thecircuit, the electro-magnet 15 will cause the armature 16 to pivotallymove the hood from its normal ineffective or raised position, shown inFig. 5, to the effective position lowered shown in Fig. 3, in whichposition a ball B, will be caught and made to enter a pocket 45.

To facilitate the operation of the hood 50, as above described, Iprovide the hand knob fixed to the cam shaft 12 for rotation therewith.Itis noted that the knob 80 is positioned on a portion of the shaft 72which extends through and beyond the front wall 26 of the cabinet C.

From the above description it is noted that the player may rotate thecam H in either direction to raise the switch 60, by manual operationand that the circuit will be closed to raise the hood 50 for only arelatively short time when the ball 68 rolls on the metallic tracks 63and 64. Therefore, since the hood 50 is maintained only momentarily inlowered position it depends on the skill of the player to effect thelowering of the hood at the proper moment to intercept a desired ball 68and deflect it into the pocket 45.

As clearly shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 9 of the drawings, I prefer toprovide a stop member 8! fixed to the wall 26, projecting inwardly ofthe cabinet C and disposed in the path of rotation of the cam H to limitthe rotational movement of the said cam H in either direction.

While in Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown manipulating cams H andknobs 80 located in the front wall 26 for use in operating two rockingswitches located at spaced points around the turntable 20, it isunderstood that similar pocket operating mechanisms may be provided forthe other two pockets 45 shown, and that any number of additionalpockets may be provided for as many players as desired.

If desired a time switch of any suitable well known standardconstruction may be provided in the circuit operating the turntable 20so that when the said. circuit is closed by any suitable switch devicethe turntable will continue to rotate for a predetermined period toconstitute a game. In Figs. 1 and 11 I have shown a coin slot device 88which is so constructed and arranged in the well known manner so thatwhen a coin is inserted in the recess 89 and the coin slot pushedinwardly in the direction of the arrow l28. the cammed portion 88a ofthe coin, slot device 88 will move the lever 85a to close the timeswitch 85. By means of a forked portion 88b of the coin slot device 88the switch b may be closed. to energize an electromagnet 96 (see Figs. 3to 5) to cause the movement of its armature 91 in the direction of thearrow 98. A rocker arm 99 pivotally mounted on a bracket I00, andpivotally connected to the armature 91 will cause the back end of thepocket 45 to be tilted upwardlv from the position shown in Fig. 3 to thedotted line position shown in Fig. 5 to thus cause the ball 68 to rollback to the turntable 20 for the start of the game. In this manner themere insertion of a coin in the slot device and the pushing of said coinslot device inwardly will place all the balls B back on the turntable 20and at the same time start the said turntable rotating. The players maythen take their positions at the knobs 30 and exercise their skill inattempting to trap certain selected balls B into their own pocket 45.Any suitable system of scoring may be employed.

If desired, further competition may be introduced into the game byproviding means whereby one or more pocket hoods may be operated so asto be automatically momentarily lowered by means of and during therotation of the turntable 20. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown one way inwhich this can be accomplished. Attached to the underside of theturntable 28 is a cammed lug es. .S'uitably supported in the cabinet Cis a, switch mechanism 9! comprising a pair of contacts Q2 and Q3,normally open, and having lead wires 94 and 95 leading to a source ofcurrent supply (not shown). The contact 93 may have attached thereto asshown a spring member 12? normally disposed in the path of the lug 98.

It is thus noted that when the turntable rotates the lug 953 willdepress the spring lZl to close the contacts 92 and 93 at eachrevolution which will complete a circuit through the electromagnet it tomomentarily lower the hood iii in the same manner as described inconnection with the manually manipulated rocking switches.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated the electrical cir-- cuit for controllingthe operation of the motor and hoods 5d. These circuits are controlledby the time switch 85 which may be set to run for a desired period oftime during which the player may play the game, and which may beactivated by a suitable coin slot or other device. Current is suppliedfrom a source (not shown) through the transformer T and thence throughthe time switch 85, to operate the devices as follows:

The motor M which operates the turntable 253 is energized by the circuitcomprising the lead lines Hi and E22, from the transformer T to themotor, thence out from the motor by the lead lines 523, i2 l, 25 and I26to the time switch 85 and back to the transformer by the lead line Theelectro-magnets which operate the hood 5c are energized by the momentarycontact made by the movement of the balls 58 of the rocker switches 63,by completing circuits through the transformer T. The two switches 9i,as previously described, are operated mechanically by the rotation ofthe turntable 2D, to energize two corresponding electro-magnets l5irrespective of the operation of the rocker switches.

In Fig. 12 I have shown the circuits for energizing the electro-magnets95 which tilt the pockets d5 upwardly from the back end thereof toreturn the balls B to the turntable, for the next game. In this circuitthe time switch 85, as previously described, is arranged so that uponactuation it will temporarily actuate the switch to complete thecircuits from the transformer T, through the switch 95a and through allthe magnets 96 at the same time.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adaptedto meet the conditions of practical use.

various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, andas various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, itis to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a game apparatus of the class described, a turntable adapted tohave a ball freely resting thereon, means for rotating said turntable, awall surrounding said turntable to normally prevent said ball fromleaving said turntable upon rotation thereof due to centrifugal force,an opening in said surrounding wall, a ball receiving pocket disposedoutside of said surrounding wall and communicating with said openings,means normally ineffective for guiding said ball through said openingand into said pocket, and means for rendering said last named guidingmeans effective.

2. In a game apparatus of the class described, a turntable adapted tohave a ball freely resting thereon, means for rotating said turntable, awall surrounding said turntable to normally prevent said ball fromleaving said turntable upon rotation thereof due to centrifugal force,an opening in said surrounding wall, a ball receiving pocketcommunicating with said opening means, normally ineffective for guidingsaid ball through said opening and into said pocket, and means forrendering said last named guiding means effective for only apredetermined period of time.

3. In a game apparatus of the class described, a turntable adapted tohave a ball freely resting thereon, means for rotating said turntable, awall surrounding said turntable to normally prevent said ball fromleaving said turntable upon rotation thereof due to centrifugal force,an opening in said surrounding wall, a ball receiving pocketcommunicating with said opening, means normally ineffective for guidingsaid ball through said opening and into said pocket, and means operableby the rotation of the turntable for automatically rendering said lastnamed guiding means effective.

4. In a game apparatus of the class described, a turntable adapted tohave a plurality of balls freely resting thereon, means for rotatingsaid turntable, a wall surrounding said turntable to normally preventsaid balls from leaving said turntable due to centrifugal force uponrotation thereof, openings in said surrounding wall, ball receivingpockets communicating with said openings, means for trapping said ballsso that they will be guided through said openings and into said pockets,said last named trapping means being normally in ineffective positionand means for causing said trapping means to move to effective position.

5. In a game apparatus of the class described, a turntable adapted tohave a plurality of balls freely resting thereon, means for rotatingsaid turntable, a wall surrounding said turntable to normally preventsaid balls from leaving said turntable due to centrifugal force uponrotation thereof, openings in said surrounding wall, ball receivingpockets disposed outside of said surrounding wall and communicating withsaid openings, means for trapping said balls so that they will be guidedthrough said openings and into .said pockets, said last named trappingmeans being normally in ineffective position and means for causing saidtrapping means to move to effective position and to remain in suchposition for only a predetermined period of time.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 4 in which means are provided forreturning the balls from said pockets to said turntable.

CHARLES E. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,990,859 Elliott Feb. 12, 19352,044,906 Jarvis June 23, 1936 2,086,327 Hameetman July 6, 19372,195,718 Culp Apr. 2, 1940

